Enter Search Query:

Windows 10 start menu search can’t find applications

So I got Windows 10 and right out of the box of a fresh Windows 10 install, Cortana would not display any applications in a start menu search. I am able to locate the applications by clicking Start > All apps, but clicking on the start menu and typing say Calculator, Excel or Outlook yields files and web searches matching those terms, but not the installed applications themselves. Apparently this is a common issue with Windows 10 since there are about a hangry posts and suggestions on how to fix it. After trying a bunch, here’s what finally got the start menu search working for me in Windows 10.

[the problem]

Searching the Windows 10 Start menu for installed applications like Word, Outlook or even calculator yields no correct results.

[the solution]

Open an elevated command prompt (press win + x, then press a, then at the UAC prompt select Yes).

Type start powershell and press enter.

Paste the following command into the powershell window and press enter: